Terminal of Love
by Alyssa86InMN
Summary: Weeks after turning Marcos down, Zoe decides to take a trip. EDITED!
1. The Dan & Zoe Confessions

"You can't help who you fall in love with, and that, you shouldn't be sorry for."  
  
Candy's words raced through his mind like a greyhound running a track. He did love Zoe, but he could never tell her. He wasn't sure he wanted to get involved with a woman with "baggage". He had "baggage" of his own, but would two people, one with past "baggage" and one with present "baggage", last? Dan loved kids, but he wasn't sure he could love another person's children. Yeah so they weren't Zoe's children either, but she was their guardian and if he did have a relationship with her, they would be her "baggage". He knew the kids were Zoe's deciding factor in a commitment. If it didn't work with the kids, it wouldn't work with her, it was as simple as that. Then why did she turn down Marcos? He hit it off with the kids, but for some reason not with her? Could it be it was a one-sided love?

* * *

Zoe stared blankly at the television screen, her station already off the air for fifteen minutes. It had been nearly three weeks since she and Marcos split up, but she still couldn't stop thinking about her decision to not marry him. Marcos was honestly the perfect man, great with the kids, very sweet and they had good chemistry, but the only thing was Zoe couldn't fall in love with him. She loved him, but not in the way he had hoped when he proposed. Her feelings got complicated when she realized to herself that she had feelings for Dan. Dan made her heart jump when he said her name; Marcos was never able to do that. Dan though was someone she wasn't sure if she wanted to get involved with. Did Dan even like kids? Would he be a good role model for them? All of the thoughts running through her head kept her awake until 2am.

* * *

"Hello, Zoe." Dan greeted as he stood in the doorway to her office.  
  
Her heart jumped with the sound of his voice. "Hi, Dan," she finally greeted; looking up from a file she was reading.  
  
"Are you okay? You seem a little out of it today." Dan asked, approaching her desk in concern.  
  
"I didn't sleep that great last night. I couldn't shut off my brain."  
  
"What were you thinking about that kept you up?" He asked, taking a chair to sit in.  
  
"Oh, a lot of stuff. Marcos..." she trailed off.  
  
"Oh," Dan uttered, feeling a stab of jealousy.  
  
"... And about that night he proposed."  
  
"Are you regretting your decision?" He asked, praying she'd say no.  
  
"I don't know. I was just really confused that night. You and that damn kiss, for one."  
  
Feeling uncomfortable with talk of Marcos, Dan rose from his seat and bent over her desk to say, "I've got work to do, but just so you know, that kiss meant something to me."  
  
He gave her a quick smile before finally leaving her office. Taken aback by his comment, she sat straight with her mouth open for a while before shaking her head and getting back to work. 


	2. Nightly Encounters

In just three days, Zoe was going to board a plane that would take her out of Chicago, away from the kids and away from the events from the past month. She needed to clear her head, she needed to get her feelings in order and figure out what she was going to do. She had no idea whether she should just move on with her life after Marcos, consider a relationship with Dan or just ditch the idea of anything with Dan, they could always just be partners the rest of their lives. She knew that after turning down Marcos she knew he'd be out of her life forever. It saddened her to think of it that way, but it would be too awkward any other way.

* * *

Feeling an urgency to be with someone, Dan jumped from his couch in his lonely apartment and grabbed his car keys. It may have been nearly 10pm, but something was telling him to go to Zoe's house. Was it his heart or was it something else? Whatever it was it led him in front of her house, then to the front door. Was it the cold air or something more that made him shiver as he reached for the doorbell? He didn't know, but when she opened the door, her smile radiated warmth and the shivering stopped. He smiled his boyish smile as she welcomed him inside.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asked.  
  
"I don't know. I just felt this need to come here." He said, honestly.  
  
She smiled again as she wiped a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, can I get you something to drink? A Diet Coke or something?"  
  
"Sure, that would be great." He said, as they made their way to the kitchen.  
  
"Are you excited about your trip?" Dan asked, taking a seat on a stool as Zoe retrieved two drinks.  
  
"I'm going to miss the kids, but I really think I need to get away." Zoe said, taking a seat opposite of Dan.  
  
"The office will surely be quieter without you for five days. So that's either a good thing or a bad thing." Dan laughed as Zoe playfully smacked his arm. "So, when does your plane take off?"  
  
"Noon on Friday." She said. "Why? Do you plan on seeing me off? I'm not even having the kids come."  
  
"Quite possibly yes." He said.  
  
"Well, if you do decide to see me off, I'm on flight 639 to Minneapolis." 


	3. Dinner for Five

Zoe was surprised by the visit from Dan, but she was glad he came. She even got up the nerve to give him a kiss goodnight when he left an hour later. It probably would have been considered a mediocre kiss to some, but just feeling his lips with hers made her heart skip. The kiss was the reason she decided to ask Dan over for dinner that night, the day before she left for Minneapolis.  
  
He approached the house like he had the night before and rang the doorbell. He heard footsteps running to the door and he predicted it would be Hannah to answer. When the little girl greeted him, supporting his prediction, he smiled and said hello as she let him inside. She closed the door behind him and then ran off to get Zoe.  
  
Zoe appeared from another room after hearing Hannah and greeted Dan. She ordered Dan to follow her into the kitchen and help make dinner, and he did.  
  
"So are you all packed up and stuff?" Dan asked, as he chopped up onions.  
  
"Yep, I managed to get everything into one huge suitcase too."  
  
Dan laughed, "Well there's a shocker, Zoe Busiek traveling with one suitcase."  
  
Zoe glared at him and he soon stopped laughing.  
  
"Aunt Zoe, when will dinner be ready?" Taylor asked, then noticing Dan. "Oh, hello Mr. Lennox."  
  
"Just Dan, drop the Mr. Lennox stuff." Dan said to her.  
  
She smiled and then waited for Zoe's response.  
  
"In about five minutes, so would you set the table?"  
  
"Yeah, sure." Taylor said, pulling out a plates and glasses from the cabinet.  
  
After the finishing touches were added to the dinner and Zoe called the kids down to eat, everyone sat around the table, Cliff next to Hannah and Taylor and Dan next to Zoe.  
  
"What are you going to do in Minneapolis anyway?" Cliff asked.  
  
"Just take a break, shop a little, you know, things like that."  
  
"Are you going to bring me back something?" Hannah asked, getting excited.  
  
"Of course I will!" Zoe said, giving the little brunette a smile.

* * *

As they finished dinner and the kids retreated to their bedrooms for homework, Dan and Zoe were left alone for the remaining of the evening. They both took a seat on the couch. Zoe pulled her legs up underneath her while Dan crossed one over his knee and lounged back.  
  
"So, Zoe, what do you want to do?" Dan asked, giving her one of his childlike smiles.  
  
Zoe smiled back and reached closer to him. "How about some television?" She asked, grabbing the remote that sat next to him.  
  
As she was about to turn on the TV, Dan grasped her hand, causing her to drop the remote, and pulled her upper body closer to him, bringing their lips together.

TBC


	4. Courage of Confession

Zoe didn't know what to think as she and Dan kissed. Her heart and mind began to fight over what she should do, but she wanted her heart to win and she let it. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her back. Their kiss deepened, but panic began to set in Zoe's head and she pulled away.  
  
"What? Is something wrong?" Dan asked, his breathing heavy.  
  
"I'm not sure I can do this. I have so many mixed emotions right now."  
  
Dan sat on the couch, where the separation between them was once barely centimeters where now it was two feet, with disappointment on his face. There was an awkward silence between them before Dan stood up and stared down at her.  
  
"I'd better go then," he said, "I'll try to make it to the airport tomorrow though."  
  
"I'm sorry." Zoe said, feeling ashamed as she watched Dan leave the house.

* * *

Despite what happened the night before, Dan still decided to see Zoe off. For some reason, something inside of him was telling him to tell her how he felt. He felt the need to proclaim his love for her. Even though Zoe had said that she had mixed emotions, he wanted to tell her before she went of and possibly met someone. It was probably unlikely that she'd met someone and become serious with them, but there was always that possibility.  
  
Dan arrived at the airport a couple of hours before her flight was to take off. He knew how airports were and he couldn't risk missing her. He hadn't been in an airport in a long time though and was unaware of how tight security had gotten. He hadn't realized that in order to get to the terminal he needed a plane ticket; it left him at a dead end.

TBC, sorry it's so short, I needed to end it at a climax.


	5. Ticket to Kentucky

Zoe pulled out a magazine that she brought along and started to read as she waited to board her plane. She still had two hours to wait, but she wanted to make sure she made it. She caught herself looking up frequently hoping to see Dan, but she knew deep down he wouldn't show up. He wouldn't make it past security. She wanted to apologize for the night before, she felt bad about pulling away from something she wanted to happen.

* * *

"I need a plane ticket." Dan exclaimed as he went to a ticket counter.  
  
"What is your destination and when would you like to leave?" The woman asked.  
  
"I don't care. Whatever is cheapest and whenever possible."  
  
"Well, we have some open seats for a flight to Kentucky scheduled for 2pm."  
  
"Okay, fine, whatever, put it on my credit card." He said, flinging the card onto the desk.

* * *

"Now boarding aisles 10-21 for flight 639 to Minneapolis." The flight attendant announced over the intercom.  
  
Zoe looked at her ticket and said to herself, "that's me," as she stood up and gathered her things. She looked one last time in hopes of seeing Dan, but again she was disappointed. She approached the line for the ticket- takers and felt sad that she wasn't able to give Dan a good farewell.  
  
"Hello, how are you today?" the woman asked with a smile, taking and examining Zoe's ticket.  
  
"Fine. And yourself?" Zoe responded in a typical exchange of friendly conversation.  
  
"Zoe!" a familiar voice shouted from the opposite side of the large terminal.  
  
Zoe turned around to see Dan, red-faced and out of breath, running toward her. Her heart skipped a couple of beats as she set her stuff off to the side and in awe moved toward him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asked, as a smile crawled across her face.  
  
"I told you I'd be here." He said as though it were nothing.  
  
"How did you get by security?" She asked, as they both stood facing each other.  
  
Dan held up his ticket and said with a laugh, "Well, I have the option of going to Kentucky in two hours."  
  
Zoe's face brightened at the thought that Dan would do that for her. "So are you going to go?"  
  
"I don't know, but that really isn't the reason I came here. I came because I have something I need to tell you."  
  
"I have something I need to tell you too. I'm sorry for the way I acted last night."  
  
"That's okay, I understand." He said, taking Zoe around the waist and kissing her on the lips. He broke away and said, "I just needed to tell you that...I...I love you." 

The End

I'm sure you can use your imagination as to what happens :-)


	6. The Carousel

Her mind raced the entire plane ride to Minneapolis. She questioned every move she made after he said those three little words. All she could do was smile and kiss him back before turning and boarding the plane. She wondered if she'd made the right decision to just leave him there. She wasn't sure of her feelings for him, she needed to think things over before she made a move toward a relationship with him. This trip couldn't have come at a better time for her.

"Hello, I have a reservation under the name Busiek." Zoe greeted the person at the front desk of the large St. Paul hotel.

After punching in a few things on the computer the lady said, "Alright, Ms. Busiek, your room number is 771. This is your key to get into the room and into the side entrances to the building."

"Thank you. Can you recommend any good restaurants around here?"

"It depends on what your price range is."

"Something not to expensive, but not fast food." Zoe confirmed her wants.

"Well, there is the Carousal on the top floor of the hotel. Its food is great and you can sit on the rotating dining area."

"Hmm, that sounds interesting, I think I'll check that out. How late do they serve food?"

"10 PM."

"Thank you." Zoe said, taking her luggage and heading to the elevator.

As she rode the elevator up seven floors, her mind wandered to Dan and the kiss they shared in their office elevator. She wished he was there with her, maybe then they could work something out. The ding of the elevator brought her back to reality and made her realize that this trip was just for her with hopefully no distractions, at least that was the goal.

Zoe dropped her luggage off in her room and did a little unpacking before she got dressed in a nice sundress and headed for the restaurant. She rode the glass elevator to the 22nd floor where she was greeted by a young maitre d' who seated her at a table on the rotating section of the restaurant.

"What can I get for you today, Miss?" a twenty-something waiter, who looked like a younger version of Dan, asked.

Zoe, aware of the resemblance, tried to clear her mind of Dan again and order a bottle of red wine. She looked over her menu and decided upon the chicken and wild rice for her dinner. As she waited for her meal to come she watched as the Minneapolis skyline rotated by slowly. Her thoughts drifted to what she was going to do when she got back home. Things weren't going to be the way they were before. Things were different now. Dan loved her. Did she love him back was the only question though. He did make her heart skip beats when she saw him. When he spoke, her heart would shudder. When he touched her, her heart would almost stop. He had an effect on her, a major effect. Was this love?


	7. Unexpected Visitor

Zoe went back to her room and plopped down on the bed. She was exhausted from jet lag, even though she didn't even change time zones. She pulled back the covers and fell asleep in her clothes.

Zoe didn't sleep long because there came a knock at her door. She awoke and wondered who it could be; she didn't order room service or anything. She groggily got out of bed and approached the door. She checked the peek hole and her heart skipped a beat. Dan was standing outside her door. She quickly unlocked the door and flung it open.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"It was killing me not knowing if you feel the same way as I do, I had to come. I'm sorry." Dan said.

Her eyes were big as she gazed into his, but that was all she did. He could see something in her eyes that he'd never seen before; fear. He wasn't sure where the fear came from, but her panicked eyes were all that raced through his head. It was almost haunting to see the woman he knew to fear nothing seem to cower in his existence.

"Can I come in?" Dan finally asked, wondering what he should do next.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Zoe said, breaking their gaze.

"Zoe, I'm sorry, I followed you here, but I just need to know if you love me or not, then I can go on with my life."

"This couldn't have waited?"

"No, when you find someone you truly love who may or may not love you back, it's hard to live without knowing the truth. I've been thinking the entire time I was driving here and I know now more than ever that I love you. I can't deny my feelings for you, Zoe."

Zoe stood there unsure of what to do. She was hoping she'd have a little more time to settle on what she decided over dinner. She pondered her feelings for Dan and came to the conclusion that this must be love. Love is the reason she felt weak in the knees. Love was the reason she'd spent the last couple of weeks in a slump. She loved Dan. She knew that now.

"Dan… I… don't know what to say." She sputtered out, making eye contact with him. Her heart fluttered and she knew what she had to do. "Dan…I…" she paused and felt her eyes start to burn with tears. Before she could think of what to say she found herself moving toward Dan, her arms wrapping around his neck, their lips meeting. Tears rolled down her cheeks as their kiss intensified. In between kisses she finally said what her heart was searching for, "Dan, I love you too."


End file.
